Desert Storm (Complete) (Book 2 to Desert Series)

Chapter 4

          {Camden’s P.O.V.}

          I was lying in bed while my parents, Uncle Dorian, Aunt Allie, and the other ranked members went out to dinner. I opted to say at the packhouse while grandma and grandpa took the others out for dinner. I didn’t have an appetite. Hearing that I was going to be the next Alpha made me excited at first, but I was scared too.

          Not too long ago, I realized that I was into boys more than I was into girls, and I didn’t know what to do. I was scared of telling my parents because I didn’t want them to be disappointed in me. I was also afraid that Uncle Bernie wouldn’t give me the Alpha title. Who has ever heard of a gay Alpha? I know I’m only fourteen, I shouldn’t have to think this hard about anything, but my future was at stake.

          I couldn’t sleep and it was almost eleven o’clock when everyone came home. All my siblings were already asleep. I figured I could just block it all out and go to bed, but after a little while, I heard some noise outside. I looked out my window and saw Uncle Dorian and Aunt Allie swimming in the pool. I sat up a few minutes and figured I could ask Uncle Dorian for his advice. My uncle was this amazing strong Alpha, and Aunt Allie was super nice and loved me right away. I thought maybe they could help, but I didn’t know how to approach them.

          I waited around the corner of the house and just watched them. I stood there a minute, but decided to forget it and was going to go back in when Aunt Allie called me out,

          “Camden, I know you’re there,”

          “Camden?” Uncle Dorian repeated. How did she do that?

          “Aww…How did you know it was me?” I asked.

          “Remember, I’m a blessed wolf that can sense souls, and I could sense you,” she says. I forgot Aunt Allie had powers. “Why are you up this late?” she asks.

          “I can’t sleep,” I tell them, trying not to sound upset. But I don’t think it worked.

          “Cam is everything okay?” she asks.

          “I actually wanted to talk to Uncle Dorian,”

          “What’s up kiddo?” Uncle Dorian says. I take off my slippers and put my feet in the pool. They were just looking at me.

          “I overheard mom and dad the other day talking, and they were saying that I would be the next Alpha of our pack when I turned 18…” I replied and looked down. “… That’s in four years,”

          “Cam, is there a problem?” Uncle Dorian asked. I couldn’t look them in the eyes. I knew I could tell them, and they wouldn’t judge me, but I didn’t know how to. I took a deep breath,

          “Uncle Dorian, Aunt Allie…I think I’m…Gay,”

          “Okay,” Aunt Allie says with no emotion. I just looked at her. That was not the response I was hoping for. “Cam why are you telling us this?” she asked me.

          “Aunt Allie, I’m gay,” I tell her again.

          “What do you being gay and being the next Alpha have to do with anything?” she asked. I didn’t understand. How could she not see the problem?

          “How can I be an Alpha if I’m gay?”

          “Cam,” Uncle Dorian got my attention. “Do your parents know about this?” he asked. I shook my head no.

          “Sweetie, why are you telling us and not your parents?” Aunt Allie asked while pulling herself out of the pool and sitting next to me.

          “I don’t want mom and dad to be disappointed in me. If I’m gay, I can’t be Alpha,” I tell them.

          “Cam, who told you this?” Uncle Dorian asked.

          “No one, I just assumed…”

          “You assumed wrong,” he cut me off. “Kiddo, there are plenty of gay Alphas out there. The only way that you won’t get that title is if someone challenges you for it when you turn 18 and gain your wolf and lose in that challenge. And that is a big IF,” he tells me.

          “Camden, honey, why do you think your mom and dad would be disappointed?” Aunt Allie asks.

          “I don’t know. I’ve heard so many stories of parents abandoning their kids after they come out of the closet or being beaten, or even killed,”

         “Whoa! Camden, slow your roll there. Do you think your parents would actually do that to you?” she asks. I shrug my shoulders. I honestly didn’t know how my parents would react. “Honey, you need to have more faith in your parents, and the love they have for you,”

          “But how do you know how they will react Aunt Allie?”

          “Because your mom and I have talked about it,”

          “You have?” I asked her. She nods.

          “Kiddo, your mom is not someone who would judge a person based on their sexuality. Neither is your dad. I can’t speak for your Alpha, but legally, he can’t take away the Alpha title from you, since you’re the next highest-ranked male in the pack,”

          “But Uncle Hank’s son is older,” I tell him

          “Henry’s son is also a Gamma. You are technically a Beta because of your dad, but remember, Grandpa Ben is an Alpha. That means you also have Alpha blood in your veins,”

          “So, I can still be Alpha even though I’m gay?” I ask.

          “There’s no law against it. And if anyone tells you otherwise, you tell them to see me,” I smile at Uncle Dorian. I want to be like him when I’m older.

          “Sweetie, do you want us to be there when you tell your parents?” Aunt Allie asks.

          “No, thanks. Now that I know mom and dad don’t care about my sexuality, I think I’ll be okay telling them on my own. But I want to wait a little longer,”

          “You wait as long as you need to, and if you change your mind on wanting us to be there, you just have to tell us, okay?” she says.

          “Thanks, Aunt Allie, thanks Uncle Dorian,”

          “Come here,” she gave me a big hug and kissed me on the forehead. Aunt Allie was so awesome. “Do you feel better?” she asks while still hugging me.

          “I do,”

          {Allie’s P.O.V.}

          After a few minutes, Cam went back inside and went to bed. I couldn’t believe he thought his parents would hate him because he was gay. I was glad we could clear it up for him.

          “Damn, poor kid,” Dorian said standing between my legs.

          “Yeah, I’m glad that he feels better,”

          “Did you really talk to my sister about this?”

          “I did,”

          “What did she say?”

          “She said she could care less if any of her pups were gay, bi, or anything else there is other than straight. She’s his mother, and honestly, she kind of already knows Cam is gay,”

          “She does?!”

          “Shhh! Not so loud, baby,” I laugh a little.

          “How does Amber know?” he asks.

          “Call it a mother’s intuition, also, Camden never talks about girls the way a 14-year-old should,” I tell him. Dorian just nods. “How would you react if one of our pups were to turn out gay or bi?”

          “I don’t care. As long they find a mate that makes them happy, that’s all that matters,” he says as he pulls me back into the pool. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck as he holds me close.

          “Good answer,” I say and kiss him tenderly.

          “We should go to bed too,” he says, and I nod my head.

          The next morning Dorian and I woke up before everyone else because our bodies were still on Nevada time and we were just used to it. So, we decided to go for a morning run. Since it was Saturday, there was no morning training for the pack. We did our ten miles, and we back to the house. By the time we got back, everyone was up and getting ready for breakfast,

          “Oh, there you guys are!” Amber said. “I went to your room to wake you guys, but you weren’t there,”

          “We woke up early, and went for a run,” Dorian told her.

          “Why did you wake up so early?” she asked.

          “Time zone difference,” I replied.

          “Ah, that’s right,”

          “The jetlag will f**k us up when we get back though,” I say, and we all laugh.

          “Okay, well go shower and get dressed. Breakfast is almost ready,” we nod and turn around and see Camden coming down. He smiles at us and I wink at him.

          “Good morning!” he says and runs past us. His attitude was definitely better than last night.

          After we showered, we both came down and had breakfast. It was crazy to see all the staff running around getting stuff ready for tonight.

          “Is there anything I can help with?” I ask. Corinne slaps my arm and shakes her head while giving me a dirty look. I slump and give up immediately.

          “You guys can just chill and relax,” Ronnie said. “Leave all the party planning up to us,”

          “If it’s okay with you guys, can we take the kids shopping?” I ask Amber and Ronnie.

          “Yeah, I’m sure they would like that,” Amber said. “Kids come here!” she shouts. All the kids run into the kitchen. “Kids, your Aunt, and Uncle want to take you all shopping, are you okay with that?”

          “YEAH!” they all shout.

          “You guys better behave,” Ronnie says sternly.

          “Yes, dad!”

          “Okay, go finish your breakfast and get ready. We’ll leave at eleven,” I tell them.

          “Sis, mind if we borrow your car? Our rental obviously won’t fit all of them,” Dorian says.

          “Be my guest,” she says, and Ronnie tosses him the keys.

          After breakfast, all the kids were ready to go and at the car waiting for Dorian and me. They were so excited and so was I. I felt bad I hadn’t gotten any of them anything unless it was for birthdays or Christmas, so I wanted to spoil them, with obvious limitations.

          “Alright you guys, we have some rules that all of you have to follow, otherwise we come straight home,” I tell them, and they sit and listen closely. “One, there will be no arguing or fighting, or any other bad behavior. Two, when we tell you something, that’s the final word, there will be no talking back. And three, everyone gets their fair share at a store that they choose. If Camden wants to spend an hour in a game store, we let him. If twins want to play dress up for an hour, we let them. No whining that someone is taking too long. Got it,”

          “Yes, Aunt Allie,” they all reply

          “Also…” Dorian says. They all look at him. “…We all stick together. No one goes off on their own whatsoever. Especially you Cam. Got it!?”

          “Yes, sir!”

          “Everyone is allowed to spend up to $500, so be mindful of what you choose to get. Everyone understand?” I tell them.

          “YES!”

          “Alright, let’s go have some fun,” I smile at them.

          “YAY!” they shout. Dorian punches in the mall address into the GPS and we take off. It took about forty minutes to get to the mall due to some traffic. Once Dorian parked, the pups jumped out of the car and waited in a single file line.

          “Okay, we’re going to go shopping for the twins first, since they will most likely shop at the same stores. You boys good with that?” I ask and they all nod.

          “Allie, I have a better idea,” Dorian said. “Why don’t you take the twins, and I’ll take the boys. We can meet up at the foot court for lunch. I’ll just mind link you, baby,”

          “Oh yeah, that does sound better,” I agree, and we split up.

          Once we get in the mall, I let the twins pick the stores they want to go to. Their first choice was H&M. I let the girls go to town and pick out things they liked, and I just followed them. They definitely had the same taste in clothing, but Calleigh was a little more tomboy than Cassie. Once they picked out a bunch of stuff, they both went into the fitting rooms and showed me everything they tried on.

          Being the honest person that I am, I turned down a bunch of the stuff the chose. Being only ten years old, the girls didn’t know how to style what they wore yet. They also tried to dress older than they were, which was a little uncomfortable for me. I helped them out and styled them to look mature but still look their age.

          “Calleigh, if you’re going to wear torn jeans like that, you need to wear it with a plain shirt or even a tank like I’m wearing,” I tell her and show her how to match it up. She smiled when she what I meant. “Cassie, black makes you look too pale honey. Try navy blue instead,” I tell her and get her the same dress in a dark blue color. She smiles when she sees the difference it makes.

          They each got five things at H&M, but I paid separately so I can keep track of their totals. The girls opted for shopping at lower end stores and getting more items for cheaper prices. Our next stop was Forever 21, which I knew would be cheap too. Girls went to town, and again, I had to help them with the styling, but they had no problem with it all. I had fun giving them pointers and playing dress-up with them. I ended up getting some new shorts for myself while I was there.

          After we left Forever 21, the girls asked to go Victoria Secret,

          “Wait, why do you want to go in there? Aren’t you a little young?” I asked them.

          “We need to start wearing bras, Aunt Allie,” Calleigh said.

          “Don’t worry, we only wear sports bra’s right now, plus, we want to get panties from Pink,” Cassie said. I shrugged my shoulders and we went in. Sure enough, the girls picked out some sports bras, a couple of shirts, and they each picked out ten panties from the Pink side of the store. Since it was five for $28, I let them get ten instead of five.

          After Victoria Secret, the twins both hit their $500 mark. They actually exceeded by like $50 each, but I gave them a little leeway. We were walking around and stopped inside Sephora so I could replenish my Charlotte Tilbury face powder and a few other items I knew I was running low on.

          “Auntie Allie, will you teach me how to do makeup?” Cassie asked.

          “Sure, I can, but when you are a little older. Your skin is too premature and wearing make too early will ruin in,” I tell her and caress her cheek. She smiles and nods. I was getting ready to check out when I got a mind link from Dorian,

          Hey, baby.

          Hi, babe.

          Where you girls at?

          We are at Sephora, why?

          The boys hit their max.

          The girls did too.

          Why are you at Sephora then?

          For myself.

          Okay, you girls ready for lunch?

          Yup. I’m checking out now. We will meet you at the foot court.

          Okay.

          When I was done checking out, we headed to the food court to meet up with Dorian. When we got there, I saw that the boys only had like three bags each. I looked up at Dorian,

          “They spent most of the money at the game store as you predicted. And Camden wanted new Jordan’s, so that like $200 at one store,” Dorian said. I started to laugh and smiled at Camden. Dorian looked at the girls and saw they had like five bags each. “I’m guessing they got more out of the $500,”

          “Yeah, they both went a little over because of taxes,” I reply

          “The boys did too,” Dorian says, and we just smile at each other. “Who’s hungry?”

          “We are!” all the kids shout.

          “What do want to eat?” I asked them.

          “PIZZA!!” they shout.

          “That was easy,” I say and laugh. I sat down with the kids and Dorian went to the pizzeria to order two large pizzas for us to share. All kids were fine with simple pepperoni and cheese pizzas which made it easier on Dorian.

          After about ten minutes, Dorian came with the pizzas and bottled sodas,

          “Alright, the top box is the cheese pizza and the bottom one is the pepperoni,” he says putting them down. I open the boxes and fold the top underneath to make room. Dorian passed around the plates. “And ranch for the two of us,” he says hands me two ranch cups.

          “Thank you, baby,” I say and give him a quick peck on the lips.

          “Eww!” the twins exclaimed. I looked at them and just laughed. Kids.

          After lunch, the kids went to throw away the trash and use the bathroom. When they came back, were getting ready to leave when I heard someone call my name,

          “Allison?”